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Everyday Life
Getting Answers to Your Questions You will have a number of questions about setting up your life in Denmark. Some of them we give some insight to here, some you must seek out the answers to on your own. Here are some good sites that cover the BIG questions that you will likely have before or after you arrive. You should check these out before anything else. Danish Government Resource for Expats: * https://lifeindenmark.borger.dk/ Copenhagen Kommune’s Site for New International Arrivals: * https://international.kk.dk/ Copenhagen Kommune’s Site for City Residents: * https://www.kk.dk/ Gentofte Kommune Site (in English): * http://www.gentofte.dk/en/English%20NEW Kommunes It is important for you to know which Danish kommune you live in and also it is quite helpful to know a little bit about each one, since their local fees vary, so do the local taxation rates and many other things. If you are planning on moving to Denmark it is helpful to do a little research on each to see what they offer their residents. You can get more information by going to their individual websites, which available through this link: https://www.fyidenmark.com/danish_kommunes.html Some Kommunes are more welcoming to the expat community than others. Gentofte has a great reputation for being inclusive of the expat community with its communications and myriad of cultural programs while some Kommune’s further away from Copenhagen can have a more provincial mindset when it comes to non-danes. Kommunes are a great resource for VERY CHEAP children’s activities and programs over the school holidays and breaks—just be sure to register early as they will fill-up. Public Libraries * Denmark’s Libraries are a great resource you should take advantage of. They have movies, audible books, e-books, and can order any book for you that you’d like. Many Kommune libraries have great cultural programs for kids and even language meet-ups where English speakers can come to practice their Danish with danes—and vice-versa! * You can also access the Internet and read international newspapers. Useful public information is also readily available. For a free overview of publications in Denmark and of lists of material available at public libraries, visit http://www.bibliotek.dk * All libraries in Denmark are open for everyone to use - and borrowing is free of charge. But first you must be registered—and guess what: it is super easy. Just bring your Yellow card. As books in English and other Foreign languages are priced at 3x the cost of what you pay at home, the library will be a great resource when your personal collection has run out. Danish Newspapers It is too easy to get sucked into visiting the same newspaper sites you followed at home—but you don’t live there anymore. It’s time to broaden your horizons and get to know what’s going on in and around Copenhagen and Denmark! There is only one newspaper in Denmark that is completely in English and that is the Copenhagen Post, which is a free weekly paper. It can be picked up around Copenhagen at many of the tourist spots, library, tourist office. Great way to keep up with what is happening in Denmark. Here are other major newspapers you should add to your routine. I’d recommend installing the Google Translate plug-in on your web browser (or other compatible translation plug-in) so that web pages are translated automatically (while you need that). * Jyllands Posten (major newspaper) http://www.jp.dk/ * Politiken (major newspaper) http://www.politiken.dk/ * Borsen (major Business Newspaper) http://www.borsen.dk/ * Berlingske Tidende (major newspaper) https://www.berlingske.dk/ * Ekstra Bladet (tabloid newspaper) https://ekstrabladet.dk/ * B.T. (tabloid newspaper) https://www.bt.dk/ * Information (politics and culture) https://www.information.dk/ * Fyens Stiftstidende and Fyns Amts Avis- local papers on FYN https://www.fyens.dk/ * The Local https://www.thelocal.dk/ The Weather * Good luck trying to predict it. The one thing you can always bet on is that it is going to rain. So it will be useful to have a set of lightweight rain gear (pants and jacket), a set of heavier weight (fleece lined is not a bad idea) rain gear, and boots/waterproof shoes for everyone in the family. * I have not found a good weather app for Denmark—the systems just move too fast and are acted upon by too many variables to forecast in any meaningful amount of time. Overall, it is a very nice range—not too cold in the winter and not too warm in the summer--the proximity to the water keeps things things temperate. There is snow, but nothing that stays for long. There is always a fair amount of rain. Of course, that too is hard to predict. The summer of 2018 had a record three months of summer temperatures more like Spain than Denmark. The winter of 2019 is very mild. But one thing you can bet on is rain. Mail, Packages & the Post Office * Mailing things to anywhere outside of Denmark is expensive. Currently it costs 300dkk (approx. 40 Eur/$45 US) for 10 letter/postcard stamps. Some people save their letters and postcards and mail them from other countries when they are traveling for better rates. However, some countries have better postal systems than others. In Denmark, it takes about 5-10 days for a letter to reach its destination (mail is delivered once a week). In Scotland, it took three months for a postcard we mailed ourselves to reach us. * Be warying of friends and family sending care packages to you from home—the VAT, taxes and postage can oftentimes triple the cost of the contents inside. Tax is estimated by the stated cost of the contents of the package, so it is best to make a conservative estimate—or better yet, save it until they come to visit. One tip is to have them use your Amazon.de accounts to send you gifts—the VAT is included, though you need to reach shipping minimums, or you will be charged for that as well. * Some Kommunes are better than others regarding the delivery of packages and mail. Universally though you must be sure to have your name clearly written on your mailbox in order for them to deliver anything (including the very important CPR & NEM ID cards). If you are not home and your package delivery requires a signature, it will be re-routed to a local parcel pick-up location and you will be sent an email or text (in Danish) telling you where you can pick it up. * Post Offices are generally found within other places such as supermarkets or shopping malls (giving longer opening hours) * At the post office you will need to take a ticket to queue. * You will need to pay by cash or Dankort. They do not accept foreign cards/credit cards. * You can pay bills at the post office if you don’t want to do it online. Sending parcels * It is very expensive to post parcels here. One way you can save a little is to print your own label using your home printer or to use the system at one of the Pakkeboksen (Parcel Boxes). These are red box systems located in various places such as stations and smaller supermarkets. You can send parcels up to 20kg outside Denmark and 35kg inside the country. PostNord App and website * If you want to download the PostNord App (Mobilporto) you can do many things without having to go to the post office. * You can buy postage for letter up to 2kg (so this covers smaller parcels), you get a code to write on your letter in the place of a postage stamp. * You can also buy package labels. Recycling, PANT & Garbage Pickup * Surprisingly, Denmark is a bit behind the curve when it comes to recycling compared to some other countries. There is a basic separation of materials and extensive guides can be found on your Kommune website—look there for more information (see section above). You can also sign-up to have a text message reminder sent to you (in Danish) * PANT is the deposit that you pay for when you buy recyclable containers at the store. To redeem them, you must bring them to a place like Fotex that has a recycling machine to feed them into. Instead of spitting out money, the machine will give you a rebate coupon for the store or you may donate your recycling money to a charity. For bottles that are not eligible for PANT, you can deposit them in the large black metal containers positioned around the city centre or you may include them with your glass and metal recycling if you live outside the city. * Interesting thing you might experience in some Kommunes (like Genofte): the garbage men will walk down your driveway and into your yard at 6 am to retrieve the household waste cans and bring them out to the street by themselves—and then bring the cans back. You are responsible for bringing the recycling out to the street by yourself. * Yardwaste goes into big heavy paper bags that can be purchased at hardware stores and supermarkets. Moving (Relocating) Yourself Moving yourself in Copenhagen is from what I understand, unheard of. However, you can rent large moving vans and cargo buses for the day at somewhat cheap rates (if you still have your home country drivers license). If you do get movers, I have been told that tips are not expected, however offering beers or coca colas is the right thing to do. DIY Projects & Tools Local hardware stores and Kop & Kande are great for the small task, though their prices may run on the high side. BauHaus is the Big Box DIY retailer in Denmark and it is worth the trip out to visit. They also have an incredibly extensive and impressive lighting section, as you’d imagine. Hiring A Contractor or Repairman The danes are by nature, negotiators. Never accept the first price you are offered. They expect you to haggle on the price. Unfortunately, it is also quite common for contractors or service providers (across industries) to attempt to take advantage of expats because they are foreigners and do not know any better or are too embarrassed to pushback or counter-negotiate. This is not done out of mean-spiritedness—this is just the way business is done, so prepare yourself for some hardnosed negotiation. If it is possible, have a Dane present or better yet, do the negotiation for you. You will quickly see how they’ve developed their no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners interpersonal skills. Hard Water (Kalk) Hard is an understatement. The water is intensly minerally. It made our stomachs hurt for the first few weeks we were here, but then we adjusted and now we drink gallons. It builds up in all your pipes, appliances, tolilts and kettles so definitely do put this on the list to figure out after the initial dust settles. * Make sure you use Kalk Fjerner (anti kalk tablets or powder) in your washing machine to avoid build up of limescale which can cause the machine to break down * Ensure you add dishwasher salt to your dishwasher, again to prevent problems caused by limescale. Also, to prevent glasses and dishes being left with a chalky film, put a teaspoon of citronsyre (from Matas) in the dishwasher tablet holder with the tablet in every wash. * To remove limescale from your kettle or coffee machine, you can use plain vinegar. Boil in the kettle or run it through the machine and then rinse well. Barbers, Hairdressers and Beauty Prepare to pay slightly more than you are used to (you’ll be hearing that a lot) for a haircut here. Ask around for recommendations—as you know, all barbers and hairdressers are not created equal. I wouldn’t worry too much about seeking out an ‘english speaking’ haircutter but if that makes you feel more comfortable at first (as it did me), there are options. The British Barber Highly recommended, very cool little place near Nørreport station in City centre. Get there right before opening as the place can get busy. Good, friendly haircut and beard trim while listening to Brit pop on the speaker system. Haircut will run you 350DKK (47 euro/$53 usd). Worth it. * http://britishbarber.dk/ * Studiestræde 8 * 1455 København * Tel: 23 96 01 81 ' Hairdresser (frisør) recommendations' Hårlywood * Ndr. Frihavnsgade 47 * 2100 København Ø, * Tel: 35 55 10 00 * http://www.haarlywood.dk Oak-s * Sofievej 1, st. th. * 2900 Hellerup * Tel: 39 30 40 10 * http://www.oak-s.dk Rodian Rodian * Strandvejen 179 * 2900 lerup, * Tel: 33 13 13 63 * http://www.rodianrodian.dk Eddies Cut * Bernstorffsvej 67, * 2900 Hellerup * Tel: 39 62 18 51 * http://www.eddiescut.dk (also childrens cuts) Soul of Hair * Waterfront Shopping Centre * 2900 Hellerup * Tel: 39 90 29 00 * http://www.soulofhair.dk * (Elisa is recommended particularly - she is American English speaking hairdresser!) Beauty Salons Oasis Wellness * Rådhusvej 10, * 2920 Charlottenlund * Tel: 39 90 10 03 * http://www.oasiswellness.dk Fleurir * Sortedam Dossering 101 * 2100 København Ø, * Tel: 27 38 52 71 Veterinarians Artemis Dyreklinik * Tel: 39 40 10 34 * http://www.artemis.dk Gentofte Dyreklinik * Tel: 39 62 02 00 * http://www.dyrlaege.dk 24-hour Vet Roskilde Dyre Klinik * http://www.roskildedyreklinik.dk/vagtordning.aspx Pet Boarding Vejlegaarden kennel & cattery * Tel: 44 97 59 14 * http://www.vejlegaarden.dk Small animals (e.g. rabbits & guinea pigs) * The pet shops in Lyngby & Charlottenlund offer boarding. Pet Supplies Maxi Zoo * In the shopping centre by IKEA Bonnie Dyrecenter * Near Føtex in Lyngby Storcenter Charlottenlund Dyrehandel * Jaegersborg Alle 6, 2920 Charlottenlund Brogaarden * Søbredden 27, 2820 Gentofte * Tel: 28 95 79 10 * www.brogaarden.eu Dog Walkers, Home Visits and Pet Sitting Paw Shake * www.en.pawshake.nl/dog-walking/kobenhavn